Heat wave

NSW is experiencing its first heatwave of the summer as authorities remain on alert with extreme fire danger forecast across the state, with warnings that conditions could worsen, as total fire bans are in place across nine regions.Temperatures are expected to soar higher than yesterday, with Penrith expected to hit 41 degrees and 39 degrees forecast in Sydney's CBD.By 11.30am, Sydney had already reached 31.7 degrees, and it's only going to get hotter. Temperatures are set to hit their hottest at around 2pm today before they drop to the high 20s by 10pm.The city's west has already surpassed temperatures of 36 degrees, with Penrith hitting 36.7 degrees before an anticipated climb to 41 degrees by 3pm.The Bureau of Meteorology has said that the hot and dry conditions mixed with strong west to northwesterly winds are expected to bring increased fire dangers to NSW's central and northern regions.A west to southwesterly wind change is set to move through later in the afternoon and evening."Today we're going to see extreme conditions across the state with, again, really strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity," NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Trent Curtin said."So we're really concerned going into today with fires that might get up and running quickly.""We've had some major fires burning up in the Hunter area that have been growing yesterday and overnight."
Multiple fires have broken out across the state, however, they are all under control.The RFS has reported 10 bush and grass fires across New South Wales.There are fears that up to four homes have been lost in a bushfire that began on Thursday on NSW's Mid North Coast in Bulahdelah.The RFS has said that it is currently too dangerous to assess the damage of the blaze, however, they are expected to do so later this morning.Overnight conditions in that area have not been ideal, so officials have warned that the fire could potentially ramp up again today."We've got extreme conditions in seven areas and total fire bans in nine areas," Curtin said.Extreme fire danger is forecast in the Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney Region, Illawarra/Shoalhaven, Central Ranges, North Western, Upper Central West Plains and Lower Central West Plains.Severe heatwave warnings are in place for the Hunter, Metropolitan, Illawarra, South Coast, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands regions."So right through Sydney, Illawarra, Newcastle and through the central parts of the state, we've got extreme fire danger, but we've got high fire danger right across the state."This afternoon is expected to bring strong winds before a cooler change is forecast to come later this weekend.